


A Night at Joe's

by sabaceanbabe



Category: Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-02
Updated: 2010-02-02
Packaged: 2017-10-06 23:47:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/59044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sabaceanbabe/pseuds/sabaceanbabe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>His words sank in and Kara looked back up at him, said sharply, "You're not leaving her with me."</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	A Night at Joe's

She paused, one bare foot lifted to clear the threshold, one still-damp hand gripping the hatch. Cold water dripped from her hair onto her neck and shoulders, tickling, which added to her annoyance.

Without turning her head, she said, "Helo, this is not--"

He rushed up behind her, out of breath, and took her free hand from behind. She turned, but even as she did, his grip tightened, his fingers closing hers over an even smaller hand.

"It's so late the daycare is closed." His eyes were a little wild and his hair was all spiky, like he'd been asleep before running all the way from his quarters to hers with his daughter in tow. His uniform jacket was unbuttoned, thrown on in a hurry, and it wouldn't surprise her to find his fly unzipped, but the open jacket hung so that it blocked her view. Kara looked down at the top of Hera's head, at the riot of curls, at the toy Raptor clutched in one hand and a scrap of Fleet-issue blanket in the other. "I couldn't find Dee or the Chief," Helo continued. He sounded simultaneously apologetic and frazzled.

His words sank in and Kara looked back up at him, said sharply, "You're not leaving her with me."

"Kara, I don't have a choice. Sharon's on CAP and--"

_"Captain Agathon, report to hangar deck 3, A.S.A.P. Captain Agathon, report to hangar deck 3."_

Which explained why he couldn't find Dee. Her voice over the intercom sounded urgent.

Looking up toward the sound of Dee's disembodied voice, he touched Kara's shoulder lightly. "Kara, I have to go."

"Karl…" But he had already turned, running in the direction of the lifts, pulling his jacket closed and fastening it as he ran. "Hera, baby, be good for Aunt Kara!" he called over his shoulder and disappeared around a corner. Hera's little hand stirred in Kara's. "I guess I'm babysitting," Kara observed. Hera looked up at her with those big, brown eyes and then she smiled and some of Kara's irritation faded.

***

"Hey, Starbuck! Who's your date?" Racetrack called out when Kara paused at the entrance to Joe's, surveying the crowd. Kara responded with a rude gesture in the other pilot's direction, eliciting a shout of laughter, and continued scanning the crowd. It had been a long and boring day, and Joe's was packed with not only pilots and knuckle draggers, but also some of the civilians who worked alongside them. Satisfied that Sam hadn't arrived yet, she tightened her grip on Hera's hand and headed over to Racetrack's table.

Twisting around to drag a chair over from another table, Maggie grinned at the little girl, who looked back at her shyly and sidled in a little closer to Kara, half hiding behind her leg. Kara sat, swinging Hera up onto her lap, and lifted an arm to get Connor's attention. Less than a minute passed and a woman brought a large mug of cold beer and set it down on the table by Kara's right hand.

Before she could get away, Kara stopped her. "Hey, Leezie, what do you have that's non-alcoholic?"

Leezie raised an eyebrow and quirked a look at Hera. "Might have some lemonade…" she offered tentatively.

"Algae-ade, more like," Maggie observed.

"Bring it." Leezie shrugged and headed back to the bar, shouting to Connor for a glass of lemonade.

Kara surveyed the table, cards face up and face down and in the players' hands, the piles of cubits and personal effects, particularly the large pile that made up the pot, more or less in the center of it all. She looked down at Hera. "Want to help me clean 'em out?" Hera grinned up at her in answer and Kara said to Maggie, "Deal us in."

"You're going to teach her to gamble?" Hotdog looked uncertain and maybe a little nervous.

"No, babyface," Kara replied, reaching over to pat him on the cheek, "_we_ are."

***

"Last call!" Connor's voice rang out from behind the bar and was met with a chorus of boos and catcalls. He just waved his towel and continued wiping down the bar's surface.

Kara and Sam exchanged a look over the table and the top of Hera's head. The little girl sitting on Sam's lap should have been in bed long since, based on what Kara knew of the schedule Sharon and Karl tried to keep her to. Sharon was due back from CAP before her husband would be done with his shift and Kara wanted very much to not have to deal with Sharon in one of her over-protective moods. Not that she blamed her for them, given what Hera had been through in her short life, but still…

She stood and scooped up her winnings in one fluid motion, leaving a just-dealt hand where it lay, face down on the table. Sam, his arms around Hera as the two of them studied the cards in his hand, raised a brow in question. "That's it for tonight, boys and girls," Kara announced. She held out a hand to Hera. "It's way past your bedtime, my friend."

A hush fell over Joe's and Hera looked up, wide-eyed, at something past Kara's left shoulder. Sammy laid down his cards and Kara sighed, suddenly certain that Sharon stood right behind her. She could practically feel the Cylon's breath on the back of her neck.

"You think?" Sharon said, her voice a little icy and a little ironic, but she wasn't quite close enough to cause Kara any harm if she decided to breathe fire. Before Kara could say or do anything, Sharon stepped closer, and reached around Kara to take Hera's hand. "C'mere, baby. Let's you and mommy show these losers how to play this game, huh?"


End file.
